Twelve minutes. That’s how long the meatballs take in the oven. First, however, they must be prepped and rolled, all of which is done by Morgantown High School band parents who volunteered their time on a drizzly Monday afternoon.
Today is the Morgantown High School Band’s spaghetti dinner. From 4-7 p.m., people can come out and support the program by purchasing a meal.
Folks can dine in or pick up their food on either side street of the school today, Prairie or Edgewood Street. Price is $9 for adults and $5 for children under 12.
Amber Ruckle and Rami Bloniarz chaired the dinner. Last year’s chairs had seniors in the band — so naturally the baton was passed on. Ruckle has a junior in the band, Bloniarz a freshman and a junior.
“We have 65 dozen rolls coming from Texas Roadhouse,” said Bloniarz.
The spaghetti dinner has been a big part of MHS band fundraising for nearly four decades. Every year, meatballs are made fresh and hand-rolled.
Each person attending the dinner will get spaghetti and meatballs, a salad, rolls, and always a cupcake for dessert.
Gloves, a hairnet and a hat are staples in these volunteers’ attire, rolling each measured meatball and putting it on a tray before baking them in the oven. Monday, the volunteers aimed to roll 2,000 meatballs.
“I do it to give back to the band. Mr. [Keith] Reed was my band director. The kids put a lot of work into what they do,” Bloniarz said.
The band students will travel to Ligonier, Pa., to march in the Fort Ligonier Days parade Saturday. The band has been as far as Pearl Harbor and will also march in Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day parade — the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the country.
Ruckle said there is also a Vera Bradley Bingo coming up Nov. 3. Doors will open at noon at the MHS cafeteria. There will also be another spaghetti dinner in the spring, she said.
“Last year we cooked spaghetti for five hours. I didn’t care if I ever saw spaghetti again after that,” Bloniarz joked.
“They can drive up, the kids will take their order and they can get it to go,” Ruckle said.
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